Air quality advisory issued for parts of Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley
Posted August 8, 2018 1:34 pm.
Last Updated August 8, 2018 3:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – An air quality advisory has been issued for the eastern part of Metro Vancouver as well as the entire Fraser Valley Regional District.
In a release, the Metro Vancouver Regional District says the advisory is being issued because of “high concentrations of ground-level ozone.”
“That are expected to persist until there’s a change in the weather,” explains Geoff Doerksen, and air quality planner with Metro Vancouver.
Ground-level ozone is produced when nitrogen oxide — which is produced when you burn fuel, mixes with “volatile organic compounds” — which are emitted from solvents, he adds. They then react in the air in the presence of sunlight and heat.
The highest levels are normally seen in the mid-afternoon to early evening hours in the summer time. People are being told to avoid any strenuous activity outside between those hours.
According to Metro Vancouver, there is a particular concern for infants, the elderly, and those with medical conditions like heart or lung disease and asthma.
It’s important to keep cool when temperatures are high, and to stay hydrated. “Indoor spaces with air conditioning may offer relief from both heat and air pollution,” the regional district says.
While there is a noticeable haze in the air because of wildfire smoke, it’s not responsible for this advisory.
“Regarding wildfire smoke, computer models we are using to track the smoke show that wildfires burning are not predicted to impact our region today or tomorrow,” Doerksen says. “However, conditions could change and we’re closely monitoring the situation.
-With files from Amanda Wawryk
